The Trilisk Revolution (Parker Interstellar Travels) by Michael McCloskey Read Free Book Online Page A

Trilisks might know how to access
this pirated technology better than he did. He would ask the AI to reduce its
range dramatically, and conduct his operations far away from Earth. He had no
guess as to the range they might be able to detect and access the columns.
While planning to use ask AI to hide them, another thought presented itself.
    There
was a Vovokan idiom which meant to turn a problem into a weapon. Kirizzo
thought it might be possible in this case. If the Trilisks decided they were
outmatched and wanted to flee the system, would some of them access the
columns? A quick switch of bodies might prove useful. A Trilisk might seek to
return to a native body if they no longer needed to appear Terran.
    Then
Kirizzo could blast them into atoms with a powerful explosion.
    Within
the bowels of the Thumper , new machine’s designs flitted across the
networks. Thousands of pieces of machinery flowed to and fro through the fine
sand of his distribution network. In the center of his ship, near the Trilisk
columns, the pieces marched together. As the pieces joined to form larger and
more complex systems, the machines working on them grew from the microscopic to
the macroscopic, until finally huge cutting and lifting machines were complete.
    The
robotic work force then set about moving the Trilisk columns out into a series
of new smaller ships—Kirizzo’s deadly Trilisk traps. The ships had powerful
drive systems which were really just disguised bombs. Their components were
subtly designed with an eye toward generating atom-shattering explosions.
    The
bait columns started their move outward, though Kirizzo kept some columns back.
One column in particular remained of interest to him. It had produced copies of
the PIT team, and he suspected it still held complete memory of them. That
bargaining tool could prove useful if his plan came to fruition.
    Or
if it went horribly wrong.
     
    ***
     
    Telisa’s
link told her it was about time for her meeting with Shiny. She jumped up
toward the ceiling and dropped her hands to the floor twenty times in a rapid
cycle to increase her alertness.
    I
have a scheduled meeting with an alien. Think about that.
    She
had accomplished so much. There was just a moment of satisfaction before
thoughts of Magnus returned to smash it. She saw him in her mind, thought of
the bristly feel of the stubble on his face. She had often teased him about his
shoddy use of depilatory, though she secretly liked the feel of it. The image
faded. There was only the sense of loss.
    Not
now. Just work.
    Shiny
connected on time. Telisa sent a message.
    “Hi
Shiny. What do we have in terms of Terran defenses at Sol?”
    Shiny
provided a pointer to a large body of data. Telisa opened it within her PV. A
vast map of the solar system appeared with Space Force bases and ships marked
in red. Telisa rotated it and zoomed in on one in the asteroid belt. A force of
thirty ships were stationed there, with another two under construction in an
automated factory.
    Thirty
ships out of a total of… four hundred deployed around Sol.
    “We’ve
been busy back home,” she said. “Any signs of Trilisk improvements?”
    “Technological
development, breakthrough, innovation curve strong, shaped, accelerated.
Possible drivers: mass xenophobia, alien artifacts, Trilisk influence,
increased use of artificial intelligences.”
    “Can
you handle everything without hurting anyone?”
    “Casualties
minimal. Terran fleet can be avoided, disabled.”
    “Like
you disabled the Bismarck ?”
    “More
energy efficient procedures, approaches, methods. Network infiltration,
infection, disruption allows software disabling, paralysis, delay.”
    “I
know this is a long shot, but… what if Sol is attacked at the same time? Can
you ‘un-disable’ the Terran ships quickly if they have to fight?”
    “Likely.
Counter-proposal: Sol defended, protected, guarded by Shiny fleet.”
    “Ah,
yes, I guess that makes sense. How many ships do you